He said the reciprocal fearless behavior on behalf of the bear is also unusual, and indicates it has become habituated to human food. As a result, it will likely lose its life.
“This is not normal bear behavior and is the result of irresponsible human behavior. It is clearly evident this bear has been hand-fed before, which is illegal in Gatlinburg city limits. People are feeding and approaching bears just for a video to post on social media at the expense of bear’s lives and human safety.”
There was no indication in the video the woman had fed or attempted to feed the bear or be caught on video before the interaction, and others also remained outside during the encounter.
Still, bears are best enjoyed at a distance of at least 50 yards, and the situation was “extremely dangerous. Fortunately, no one was injured,” Cameron said.
Bears habituated to such a degree and free of fear cannot be relocated. They must be euthanized for safety reasons. An estimated 2,000 bears populate Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and they are spotted in the area on a near daily basis. Innumerable videos and photos on social media document the human-bear interface in Gatlinburg and beyond. One recent recording showed a black bear on the roof of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville.
Biologists and staff set a trap in the area near the Bearskin Lodge, and if a bear is caught and has matching physical characteristics, it will be put down. No DNA is available to test, Cameron said.
“When these situations occur, people blame the wildlife agency in charge of killing the bear. TWRA did not feed this bear, or leave unsecured garbage for it,” Cameron said. “The actions of irresponsible people killed this bear but TWRA (has) to perform the physical act. It is upsetting, frustrating and heartbreaking for our biologists and officers to have to do this. We did not pursue a career in wildlife to kill animals.”